HC Deb 11 March 2003 vol 401 c157W
Norman Lamb

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the functions of the Office of the Defence Adviser in the British High Commission in Harare. [102385]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The main role of our Defence Adviser in Harare is to provide military advice to our High Commission, to maintain liaison with the Zimbabwe Defence Force and report on their military activities and capabilities. He also has a regional role, covering Botswana, Malawi and Mozambique, in addition to Zimbabwe. Our Defence Adviser's duties in Zimbabwe are circumscribed by the UK embargo on Zimbabwe, imposed in May 2000.